"Subba has a quick word with local up and comers Voo who played Bumper earlier in the week. Why the name?
Coming up with a name for your band is always very difficult & it took us a long time to do it. We'd been playing as a nameless band for months so gave ourselves a one week deadline to come up with a name. As a small child our original drummer used to shout 'Voo' and it was the one name that we kept coming back to.
How did you meet and start the band and how long have you known each other?Paul & me met through our shared mum & dad so I've known him pretty much as long as I can remember. We met John a few years ago at Munkyfest, an absolutely amazing festival that some of our friends used to put on in Frodsham. So we all go way back.
What phrase would you use to describe your music?Full-on Metal.
You are releasing a double a side single in December and your second album early next year. Tell us about them?The double A-side is 'Same Mistakes' & 'What Will Happen & When'. The 7"s arrived from the pressing plant in France today and we're well happy with them. It'll be out from December 1st and we'll be having a big launch party around then too. The album is also going to be on vinyl & that will be out early next year. It's called 'Songs We Used to Dance To' & it's full of songs about getting gibbed by your girlfriend.
How did your tour of Germany with 28 Costumes go?I could tour Germany with 28 Costumes for the rest of my goddamn life I reckon. We stay in our friend Alex's house which overlooks a vineyard in possibly the most idyllic spot you could imagine. Then we go out and do a bunch of shows, meet a load of really lovely people & get given stacks of beer too; Awesome. We've made a lot of great friends out there and played with ace bands like I Knew It:Hurray which is Alex's band. I can't wait to go back next year.
You recently supported Crowded House at the Echo Arena. How was that?That gig was off the charts. It was one of the strangest days of our lives I reckon. We managed to enjoy the whole experience, which I wasn't sure we'd be able to do due to overwhelming terror. The first couple of songs had gone well, I was feeling okay, but I could only see the first ten rows or so. In the middle of the third song the lights went up & I could see the whole goddamn arena & I nearly lost it. Johnny Marr was there too and said 'good gig' to Paul in a corridor.
Who are your particular influences and what are the band listening to at the moment?John is influenced entirely by Queen/Formula 1, Paul by Karl Marx & Husker Du & me by Fleetwood Mac. To list current listening, in no particular order: The Sea and Cake; Guided by Voices; Hot Club de Paris; Archers of Loaf; The Weakerthans; Hooray for Humans; The Boo Radleys; Flake Music; American Analogue Set; and Pinback.
What are your favourite of your own songs and tell us why?The songs we prefer playing are generally the newest ones I'd say. We're working on a bunch of new songs at the moment, the stuff that will make up the third album and they're the songs that we are really excited about playing live too. 'Schnick, Scnack, Scnuck' is always pretty fun to play too; it gives me a break from singing too.
Would you compare yourself with any other current bands at all?No, I don't think we'd like to do that really. For a start I can't fit into skinny jeans & I'm bald.
You are mates with 28 Costumes and Hot Club De Paris. What other up and coming Liverpool bands do you rate and why?There's shitloads y'know. You should check any and all of these out: Puzzle, fightfightfight, Emily & The Faves, Arms At Last, My Amiga, Married To The Sea, Spanish Announce Team… Plus we miss Dude Music.
What's your best memory of being in the band so far?Being in a band is a very good thing to do with your time, especially if you gloss over the: endless hours of driving (thanks John); the heavy and dangerous lifting and carrying; the lazy, greedy promoters; the soul-destroying gigs in Cheltenham and London; and the countless hundreds of sandwiches. It's better to focus on the amazing gigs, the recordings and the forthcoming vinyl LP (that will be a best memory when it's out and will be something that I'll be glad has happened), and the fun times and drinks with nice people who are into music too. In particular European tours with 28 Costumes & the gig at the Echo Arena are amongst my best memories in general I'd say.
What's on the cards for Voo over the next year?We are going into the studio again at the beginning of December for couple of days and then 'Songs We Used to Dance To' will be out at the start of next year. We'll do a tour to shift some units and then come back and record the third album which is more or less good to go. So, in other words, we'll keep on doing the band.
With thanks to Rosie Deane at LMW.
www.subba-cultcha.com
www.myspace.com/voorock
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